The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-02-26
THOUGHTS FOR FEBRUARY.

wonder if our bitches are carrying off
the water as it fails. and if our good
ne;shbors have remembered how im4
portant these little canals are to suc>
cessfu! gardening and farming. Pools
OF standing water are ugly things 10
look at, and field or garden that be.
becomes water soaked, will hardly re-
pay the time spent in working it,; so
let US not be behind in this matter, but
look to our drainage.
NOW, that so much science has been
brought to bear on farming, it be-
booves every man who relies for
support upon the products of the soil
to have his wits about him, to use his
brain as well as his muscles, II he
would belong in the front-rauks Of that
great army, who are marching on 10
a standard of perfection it is reached
only by careful thought and sturdy
good reading; thus only can we leave
behind us those who arc willing TO
piod along the dull road of "old fogy''
ideas and ways, growing slowly but
surely poorer every day.
1t is with pleasure that I read the
program OF the Inter- State Dairy
men and Fruit-growers Convention
held recently at Jackson, Miss. We
feel proud for our sister State, dearer
to us perhaps from the fact that she is
our companion in misery. and fellow
sufferer from the dreaded overflow.
that lays waste so much of aIluvIal
lands.
The Dairy question was discussed.
The topic of Hoard's address was
"Necessity OF Dairy Education among
Farmers Another by Col. Gates was
1.-The New South and its Industries"
Have we not the same need OF adj
| vice on these matters? Monroe has
long felt the want of a permanent dairy
and creamery. During the spring
months many of our citizens have COWS
| from which they obtain their milk and
some times butter, bnt as the dry sum.
mer comes on, the cows fail, the
autumn finds the calves driven to the
butcher, and the cows turned out in
the woods, from which they get a
precarious living then comes dearth
in good milk. Few persons are willing
to take the trouble of feeding, stabling
and keeping COW up to her milk; few
persons knew how to feed a COW, and
fewer Still know how to keep her to
her milk.
Now the question rises, how are we
to know these things? Mr.. Hoard says
that if we educate our sons as farmers
that the Dairy should be branch
taught as much as geography or history.
OF the three, he would have more daily
use for the Dairy branch than for the
other two.
OF the new South this will, am as.
sured be one Of lis industries, and for
many reasons believe the time will
como when we will outstrip in dairy
products cur Northern friends. We
may lack the vim and the method, but
l know we do not lack the brains or
| the climate.
Who among our readers now will
let Us know what they think of
Dairy or a Creamery being started in
our town:
Nothing will aid US more than agri-
cultural papers, and as proof of this
I will give a statement from tho Ohio
Farmer, which making notes of in
stitnte work during the past winter
in Wisconsin, says: "There is one
township in that state where not ono
agricultural paper is taken, and the
average price of butter was 10 cents.
In another township near by 2l4
papers are taken, costing $3.50, and
there butter sold at an average of 23A
cents the same year. As the amount
sold was not greatly different, it shows
that by paying $3.50 for intelligence,
they received for it a dividend of $500
over the township taking no papers,"
The time is nearly gone by for sneer-
ing at shook farming" and the above
suggestions are timely. I hope the
people will take them into considera-
ton, M.
The Claiborne Guardian is hopeful.
/ I